


Time 00:00

by scarletstring



Category: Red Velvet (K-pop Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Zombies, F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-15
Updated: 2015-11-15
Packaged: 2018-05-01 17:38:26
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,132
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5214701
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/scarletstring/pseuds/scarletstring
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Red Velvet learns to cope with the fact that the world decided to end - by getting people to eat each other.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Time 00:00

-

Seoul, Korea

**6:06 PM**

 

“Just kill me, unnie.”

 

This wasn’t supposed to happen.

 

“N-No…” Wendy whimpers, her makeshift spear trembling under her grip; she won’t look at her, shaking her head like she can’t believe it’s happening – but it is and it isn’t about to stop.

 

Yeri is desperate. “Please, _unnie_ – just hurry up and do it!”

 

“I’m not hurting you!”

 

This wasn’t supposed to happen – a zombie apocalypse on their last live performance stage? _Really?_ The world couldn’t wait one more minute and just decided to end before they even got to finish their performance? They _practiced hours_ for it. Even time couldn’t wait to appreciate their efforts.

 

Weren’t they all looking forward to ice cream after? Yeri thinks bitterly, clutching at the giant gash – _bite,_ she reminds herself – on the space between her neck and shoulder. _Yoona unnie always_ did _have a larger mouth than most people._

Yeri groans at the pulsing bile crawling up her throat – acid burning her tongue that she has to chuck out their meal of salad and sweet potatoes on the pristine floor of the SM building – far enough from the other bodies of their staff members lying around precariously in pools of red old and new.

 

She feels cold – her limbs tremor from the bite, chemicals and toxin of infection worming its way through her veins and Yeri could picture her skin decaying, ignoring the way her fingers gradually color a darker shade of blue.

 

Yeri’s seen enough zombie movies to know she’s dying and it’s frightening how she’s feeling oddly calm about it.

 

She’s more worried about her unnies – Irene, Seulgi, Wendy (not much of Joy – she’s as devilishly keen as she is; Yeri won’t say ‘was’; she’s not dead yet.) for how soft they are. How innocent they are despite the age difference.

 

Yeri knows the fans call them the ‘Holy Trinity’ – and she’s amused (despite the circumstance); it’s very apt.

 

Irene wraps an arm around her waist, pulling Yeri’s unwounded arm around her shoulders and forces her to get up from the puddles of blood and her lunch.

 

“We’re not leaving you behind Yerim.” Irene says, voice hoarse as Wendy pulls Seulgi, trudging on forward, Joy shielding them from the back for any signs of anomalies.

 

Yeri worries for her unnies. They’re too caring.

 

-

 

Seoul, Korea

**3:34 PM**

_Before Dumb Dumb Live Performance_

 

“One more stage, guys.” Wendy says with a laugh, putting her hand in for a group cheer. “And then we’re getting ice cream. My treat,”

 

Joy slaps her hand on Wendy’s, an audible smack resounding the small corridor beside their dressing room. “I’m ordering two since you’re paying, okay unnie?”

 

Yeri smiles as she grasps Joy’s fingers, “Don’t abuse our unnie too much, Sooyoung unnie.”

 

Irene’s hand warms Yeri’s skin, cradling the back of her hand with small fingers. “Yerim’s right Sooyoung, and Seungwan – red bean ice cream please.”

 

Yeri smiles at the added weight, Seulgi’s larger hand enveloping most of theirs completely. “Oooh, can we go to the shop with the teddy bear on it?”

 

Their laughter is musical – warm and loving and Yeri thinks, _Yes, I’m glad I’m a member,_ as their manager ushers them towards the back of the stage.

 

Yeri fiddles with the tiny mic taped to her cheek, adjusting the cord over her ear.

 

“Good luck out there, though I think you guys don’t really need it anymore.” Yoona says behind her, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder, squeezing tenderly. “You’re all professionals already,” she mutters before coughing into her hand.

 

Yeri smiles up at her before embracing her into her smaller arms, nuzzling into her as Yoona pats her head. “Get better soon unnie,”

 

“Yerim, ready?” The manager says and Yeri grins at her sunbaenim as Yoona waves, disappearing into the crowd of staff members, muffling another cough from her throat.

 

Yeri aims to steady her pounding heart as their manager guides them up the stairs and into the lights of screaming fans. She shuts her mind for one last performance, focusing on her members and their chemistry – synchronizing herself to their movements.

 

She ignores the way the spot lights shift from their stage, swaying slightly like the staff member forgot that they should be following them instead – oh well.

 

Yeri finds it nice that the beaming lights don’t flare at her eyes so much anymore, making the fans easier to see – the audiences’ faces clearing up from the swirls of colors.

 

Is it normal for fans to be biting each other?

 

“Yerim!” Joy’s shriek barely reaches her ears, the screaming of fans Yeri thought to be happiness turning out to be shrill cries of terror instead.

 

Yeri stumbles from Joy’s hard grip on her wrist, whisking her away and into the arms of her other members, away from the sight of people eating people.

 

“Are those…?” Wendy begins hesitantly, peering over the tall shoulders of Seulgi and Joy, on her toes.

 

“Zombies?” Joy says quickly, guiding them out of the stage and into the hustling bustle of staff dashing around in murmurs of hidden panic and confusion. “Yes, I’d think so.”

 

Irene’s quiet voice creeps up in their ears amidst the chaos. “… What are zombies?”

 

“People eating other people unnie,” Yeri says once she regains her bearings, processes the images she’s seen – though a part of her still doesn’t quite believe it yet. _Zombies are actually real?_

“W-Why would they do that?” Irene squeaks, Seulgi hovering close to her, Wendy grasping her arm as if to anchor their leader.

 

Joy plays as their guide, snapping their attention back to reality at hand with a cluck of her tongue, pushing them down the corridor, shoving through swaying strangers clumsily blocking the exit in disarray.

 

“Can we talk about this somewhere else where the main meal _isn’t_ each other?” Joy quips, panic underlying her tone and it makes Yeri realize the gravity of it all.

 

Pushing the oldest three unnies, Yeri helps Joy guide them through the double doors of the building, feeling relieved at the sight of the sun still showering them in rays of warm light – like the world hasn’t ended yet.

 

Yeri doesn’t see anything out of the ordinary, though she’s slightly bothered by the quiet calm of the streets, the lacking traffic of cars making her keenly aware of the troubles she’s already seen inside.

 

“W-What about our manager?” Seulgi squeaks out, voice hushed just above a whisper like she’s afraid something loud would attract attention. Yeri wouldn’t be surprised if it’s true.

 

“Not our problem – do you really think we could find her out of all the other people running around in there?” Joy says, oddly calm but Yeri knows better – the false bravado and rush of adrenaline lining Joy’s limbs; driving her into a unanimous leadership – and voice of reason.

 

Wendy whimpers at the thought, “But –“ Joy hushes her with a click of her tongue, pushing them a few meters away from the entrance of the building, where people flitter out in rushing waves, rapid and incoherent – mixtures of screams and howling yells piercing Yeri’s ears that she’s grateful for the distance they continue to make.

 

“… Where do we go now?” Irene mumbles and Yeri recognizes the tremors in her shoulders, pulling her leader in for a hug, dragging her along as Joy leads the group in rushed steps.

 

“Maybe the dorm – or the SM building?” Yeri says quietly, hushing completely at Joy’s raised hand, urging them to crouch behind a ledge of cement.

 

Yeri sees Joy’s rigid shoulders – how her jaw tenses and she doesn’t have to hear the crunching of flesh to know there’s danger lurking too close for comfort.

 

“… The undead?” Wendy mutters under her breath.

 

Yeri doesn’t let go of her leader as she peers up over the ledge to see the commotion, the picture of two people chowing on a body in puddles of blood imprinting her mind. _This is real._

 

“Okay listen up,” Joy says and their heads turn to watch the tallest member kneel in front of them, eyes clouded in masked terror and Yeri admires her resilience. “Zombie lessons from Sooyoung 101; innocent unnies edition.”

 

“’Innocent’?” Seulgi parrots, and Joy glances up briefly to make sure the two undead are still there, preoccupied with eating.

 

“Yes innocent.” Joy huffs, and Yeri links her fingers with Irene when Irene’s hand trails over to hers. “Do you guys know anything about zombies? Anything at all?”

 

“Even from movies?” Wendy asks, her back resting against the ledge and Yeri sees how she’s trying to stave off the jitters in her legs; her palms gripping tightly on her knees. “We’re not even sure if they follow those – those clichés – what if they’re not true?”

 

“What clichés?” Irene asks through curtains of hair, fear trembling her lips, and Yeri holds onto her tighter.

 

“Like sounds – whether they can see or not – whether they see through their ears or through their eyes; whether they run or just walk.” Joy lists them out like splaying her cards, revealing her hand. “And we need to know,”

 

“W-What do you mean by that?” Wendy yelps, reaching out to pull Joy back. “Where do you think you’re going?”

 

The panic is evident from her unnies’ eyes, the oldest three trembling in terror of what Joy’s planning to do and Yeri feels torn. She understands what her unnies are thinking – understands the worry and fear from the shaking of her fingers. But she also understands the logic behind laying out the characteristics of the undead – understanding how they work so they could live through this.

 

“Lesson 1 – learn your enemies and understand how they work.” Joy rises from her knees, unlatching the grip Wendy has on her wrist with steady fingers; hushing the shaking in her unnie’s hand with a gentle squeeze. “How else would we survive without taking risks?”

 

“Risks won’t matter if you’re dead Sooyoung,” Irene’s voice is equivalent to a growl, the low thrumming of her throat raspy and hoarse. “Don’t you dare –“ she rises slowly, letting go of Yeri to confront the taller girl.

 

“But they’ll matter to the people who are still alive, won’t they?” Joy smiles at them for the first time and it’s odd – the grin in beaming white that Yeri wonders where happiness begins and the cracks end. “Wish me luck,”

 

And before Irene gets to clutch onto Joy’s arm, her fingers clawing at the younger girl’s sleeve as it slips from her nails, invisible streaks lining the material mirroring the sweater’s colorful stripes, Joy is crouching over to the two zombies – pulling out the box attached to her mic behind her waist and unclasping the tape from her cheek.

 

“That girl,” Seulgi mutters, “Always the daredevil,”

 

Wendy starts biting on her nails, “But – we didn’t even think of a backup plan. What if they _do_ go after her – what then?” her panic is clear from the corner of Yeri’s eyes, “W-We don’t even have weapons and –“

 

“If that girl doesn’t die from them then she will from _me_ ,” Irene growls between gritted teeth, easing Wendy’s poor fingers from her mouth and massaging a thumb over jittery fingers. “Making us worry like this – that idiot,”

 

Yeri smiles despite the circumstance; her unnies are so softhearted. _Too_ softhearted; wanting to keep them safe. No wonder Joy and her, being the younger ones of the three, are referred to as Satans. They’re definitely not as tender as their unnies.

 

Yeri figures it’s time Joy and her test their chemistry – show their unnies that it’ll be okay – that their younger members could take care of the older ones too.

 

 “Wait – Yerim?!” Seulgi shrieks – a mix of a whisper and scream, barely grasping at her shirt as Yeri whizzes by, keeping her feet light as she motions to head towards the other side so they could flank the two zombies.

 

Yeri unclasps her mic box from her back, unlatching the tape and follows Joy from the opposite side. Joy sends her a grateful smile, small and crooked – the fear hiding away at the sight of her.

 

_Sooyoung unnie’s strong._

Joy lets the countdown flit through her fingers, signaling Yeri in slow succession;

 

_Three,_

Yeri grips the box tighter, watching Joy still in her steps a few meters away from the undead.

 

_Two,_

Joy’s free hand counts, two fingers left standing, and sweat begins to droop from her forehead.

 

_One,_

Yeri holds her breath as Joy chucks the equipment a few feet away, far enough that in case the undead was attracted to only sound, Joy wouldn’t be anywhere near it, yet close enough that she’d be within their peripheral to see if the zombies depended on sight for feeding.

 

They whip their heads at the sound, snarling loud that Yeri momentarily forgets that she’s playing as support in case of mishaps until Joy’s widening her eyes and twisting her body to avoid a clawing hand reaching out to grab her.

 

“They could see _and_ hear!” Joy yells out, sprinting towards her and Yeri throws her mic at the zombie trailing after her, only managing to hit its head, making the undead stumble before it gives chase again. “And they _run!_ ”

 

 

Yeri watches as the other zombie follows suit, watches how the speed of the two don’t match – one being faster than the other. What made them different?

 

Panic lodges its way into her throat – as if playing the image in slow motion as she watches Joy tumble down onto the hard concrete, a zombie toppling over her, attempting to claw and scratch at her, mouth wide open for a bite.

 

Yeri rushes over – lets instinct run her limbs and forgets the other undead, hurrying to help because _Unnie can’t die – no I won’t let that happen, I won’t –_

She watches Irene bash her mic box against the zombie’s face, force hard enough that it knocks the undead off of Joy to fall beside her, rendering it blind at the area that’s been hit. It’s clawing at its own face for its sudden lack of eyes.

 

_Did Joohyun unnie just –_

 

Yeri’s momentarily relieved until the other zombie clutches onto her shoulders, head looming in and mouth opening wide and –

 

Wendy’s smashing her own mic against the undead’s skull, managing to have its grip loosen on her shoulders and Yeri wrenches its fingers off, letting it tumble down to the ground before staggering from Wendy’s hard grip on her wrist, dragging her forward.

 

“U-Unnie?” It’s the first time Yeri hears Joy stutter since the chaos – since all of this started and it startles her for the shaky trembling in her voice ripping out in waves of sheer panic.

 

Irene doesn’t say anything as she pulls her up, leading them away, makes them sprint fast and hard so they could get as far as they could from the undead – _the monsters._

 

Seulgi points at a possible resting area, a quiet space hidden away from the streets and Irene guides them over there, behind two cars that have stalled (for god knows what reason) acting as barricades for an alleyway.

 

Yeri’s not sure it’s safe – Wendy voices her thoughts for her.

 

“… Joohyun unnie, we don’t know if it’s okay over there…” Wendy mumbles, keeping Yeri close with an arm as they trudge quickly, stepping over piles of debris from damaged cars and silent bodies (Yeri’s afraid one of them are undead – what if it gets up?).

 

Yeri can still hear the zombie snarling after them in the distance – the other one left behind due to its acquired blindness.

 

“We won’t stay long,” Seulgi says, answering for Irene as she peers over the cars, “It’s a pathway long enough so we could lose that… _thing._ ” She grunts, climbing over the vehicle and hopping to the other side, signaling them with a flick of her hand that it’s safe.

 

Irene guides Joy over next before ushering Yeri in after, then Wendy.

 

Once they all make it into the alleyway, Seulgi leads. “I’ve taken this route lots of times – always did as a trainee,”

 

No one questions her on the why – it doesn’t matter at all really – Yeri being silently thankful that her unnies have stepped up to the playing field, glancing worriedly at how Joy’s still shaken up – her lips and hands quivering ever since the encounter.

 

Scratches mar her sleeves, her sweater having ripped open in strings at the arms from Joy’s attempt to protect herself, drips of blood tainting the white spots of her clothing.

 

Yeri tugs at Joy’s hand, panicked at the sight of red. “U-Unnie, are you bleeding?”

 

Irene’s eyes swivel dangerously at the taller girl, hands already fumbling over Joy’s sweater at the stains of crimson, stretching the spots out to see better.

 

Joy shakes her head, grasping Irene’s small hands in her jittery fingers. “… N-No that’s – that’s not mine,” Yeri feels relief wash over her, “It-It came from the zombie, like drool…”

 

“Okay, that’s good. Now,” Wendy starts, aiming to get the group moving again, the murmurs of the zombie’s growl floating into their ears like wisps behind them; still a distance away – blocked off by the cars (hopefully – unless it could jump too). “Seul, where are we headed?”

 

“SM building – it’s the closest place we know from here,”

 

Yeri hopes it’s safe there. Maybe she could see Yoona unnie again – and they could survive together.

 

-

 

Seoul, Korea

**4:21 PM**

“Is the radio working?” Seulgi asks, pacing back and forth in the practice room as Wendy fiddles with the dial, tweaking it around as the murmurs come out in scratchy audio – incoherent noise.

 

Yeri cradles her head in her hands, wishing the apocalypse had occurred _after_ or even _before_ their performance so they would at least still have their cell phones with them.

 

The SM building is oddly quiet – sparse of people with a few lingering about in a hurry, doing their own thing, solving their own problems. Joy had told them not to enter any other rooms, not to waste time exploring other parts of the building except for the ones they’ve specifically chosen to go into (like the practice room) – mentioning something about unwanted attention and unneeded alliances – Yeri’s not quite sure.

 

Irene hasn’t spoken since the incident, keeping mute at the corner of the room, watching Wendy and Seulgi near the radio.

 

Joy settles beside Yeri, nudging her lightly in the ribs, passing a water bottle to her.

 

Yeri grins, “Thanks, unnie.”

 

She gulps the liquid down like she’s been out in the desert her whole life, relieved at the cool streams of water trickling down her throat, easing the dry cracks on her lips.

 

When she’s done she passes it back Joy, watching the older girl chug it down as desperately as she did as Yeri takes the notepad from Joy’s lap.

 

“What’s this?”

 

“Zombie lessons from Sooyoung 101; innocent unnies edition.” Joy recites the line she’d said less than an hour ago, “Or not so innocent anymore – whatever, the point is,” Yeri stares at the jotted notes Joy points at, dragging her finger along the curves of her writing. “The zom’s can see _and_ hear, and they run.”

 

“… Yeah,” Yeri mutters, before tapping on the word ‘run’ on her notepad. “The speed is different though,”  
  
Joy pauses her hand midair – the water bottle dangling between her fingers.

 

“Speed?”

 

“Yeah,” Yeri says again, remembering that Joy probably didn’t notice considering the rest of the events that happened afterwards. “One ran faster than the other,”

 

“Was there any difference between the two zom’s?”

 

Yeri frowns, “Not really? They were both guys,”

 

“Then maybe one was more fit than the other,”

 

Yeri quirks a brow, “How do you know?”

 

Joy scribbles on the notepad still on Yeri’s lap, “Joohyun unnie managed to blind one right? Maybe the zom’s still retain their living characteristics – like fit bodies or bad eye sight.”

 

“… So you’re saying a body builder turned zombie is just as strong as it would be when undead?” The logic seeps into Yeri’s head as soon as the sentence leaves her lips. It makes sense.

 

“Yeah,” Joy gives her a weak smile, the fear still evident in her eyes – though it’s clouded over with determination and drive for survival. “So knock off the glasses of a zombie and see if it could still, well, _see;_ stuff like that.”

 

Yeri nods, soaking the information in (it’s funny how they’ve completely forgotten the ice cream; how things went upside down in a blink of an eye) – then sees Irene stalking towards them, footsteps tapping gently across the wooden floor. Yeri nudges Joy to look up just as Irene makes it in front of them, eyes piercing in colors unreadable – dark like Sulfur.

 

“… Unnie?” Joy calls out, and Yeri recognizes the way her voice still trembles, akin to the way she called Irene out previously after the oldest member bashed a microphone box into an undead’s head.

 

Yeri hears the grunts of the other two older members a few feet away, clearly still tweaking around with the radio, scrambling noise like audio plaque, clutching at her earlobes and easing doubt into her mind.

 

The anxiety crawling up her chest is pushed down at Irene’s embrace, the oldest member’s arms wrapping tightly around them, Joy’s arm squishing Yeri’s as Irene pulls them in, cradles them like they’re porcelain.

 

“U-Unnie?” Yeri yelps, startled at the member’s sudden display of affection.

 

Irene’s body shaking seconds later answers for them, her tears wracking her form as she crouches down to the floor, the younger two following suit. Yeri rubs soothing circles along Irene’s back, Joy motioning to do the same, as they whisper quiet reassurances amidst the frustrated groans from Wendy and Seulgi.

 

“… Sorry, unnie…” Joy mumbles into the leader’s hair, and Yeri feels like tearing up at the sight of tears trickling down the tallest girl’s face. “… Sorry,”

 

“… N-No more risks,” Irene’s voice is muffled against them, “I’m not losing any one of you…” Yeri sniffles, feeling patches of water pooling in the bottom of her eyes, “… Got it?”

 

Yeri wonders when Seulgi and Wendy had made it over to them, wrapping their arms around them so they’re one giant ball of tears and sweat, fear and relief – of being just _alive._

They’ll make it out together, somehow, Yeri thinks. They have to.

 

-

 

Seoul, Korea

**5:13 PM**

_“… Do NOT drink tap water; it contains the infection. I repeat – do NOT drink tap water…”_

Wendy jots it down quickly in Joy’s notepad – probably more out of habit than for memory, as they gather rations (bags of chips, granola bars, bottled drinks) to the center of the practice room.

 

Seulgi stumbles back in through the door, a backpack in hand (Yeri recognizes it to be Taeyeon unnie’s) quickly locking it with a swift turn of the dial. Yeri sees the panic rising up Seulgi’s throat from the way she attempts to swallow, like she’s gulping packs of liquid still lodged inside.

 

“… What is it Seul?” Irene asks, rising up from beside Wendy.

 

“I – I saw Yoona unnie,” her lips quiver as she trudges towards them, dropping the purple backpack next to Joy. She begins to stuff the items into it.

 

Yeri perks up at the name, “Unnie’s here?”

 

“Y-Yeah, just…” Seulgi trails off like she’s not sure what to say next, “… she doesn’t seem quite like herself.”

 

“Like, she’s undead?” Yeri slaps Joy’s shoulder at her crass assumption, not willing to believe that it’s true – but the possibility doesn’t escape her. “What? It could happen,”

 

“Where is she?” Wendy asks, nearing the doorway, peering through the window. “I don’t see anyone in the hallway,”

 

“She’s with the other Girls’ Generation members,”

 

“Wait, then why don’t we go to them?” Yeri suggests, eager to see their sunbaenims, but Joy quickly hushes the question.

 

“That’s dangerous. We don’t know if they’re infected,”

 

“Yoona unnie’s the only one infected,” Seulgi says, sitting down to help settle the rations into the bag. “Everyone else is just talking about what they should do next – Taeyeon unnie gave me the backpack.”

 

“Talking, or arguing?” Irene asks, brows furrowed as she watches Wendy by the door.

 

“… Arguing,” Seulgi mutters and Yeri slumps back down from where she sits, “Tiffany unnie said to not worry about them – that we should go on our own. That it’s not safe to move in big numbers,”

 

“She’d be right,” Wendy says from a distance, “Going about in large quantities makes it harder to move around – it’d also lead to higher risks of losing someone.”

 

“They’re already losing Yoona unnie,” Yeri murmurs under her breath, “Do you think… do you think we’d –“

 

“No.” Irene stops her words short, glaring at her like the idea itself was unfathomable. “I’m not letting that happen – it’s _not_ going to happen.” Her snarl reminds Yeri of a growling lioness – a strict leader. “I won’t let that happen to any one of you, okay?”

 

“… Okay,” Yeri mumbles, slightly relieved at the ferocity of Irene’s words – the unwavering strength in them that it settles the tremors in her heart.

 

“Let’s get moving,” Joy starts, lifting the backpack up, testing its weight. “I’ll carry it since I have more muscle mass than the rest of you.”

 

Once Wendy signals the go ahead, they filter out in quiet steps, Joy leading the group again, Wendy covering the back.

 

Yeri hears the rumbling murmurs along the corridor, bouts of yells and stern reasoning seeping out of a room to the left, recognizing the characteristic screeches of Tiffany and the hot headed temper of Hyoyeon.

 

_“She’s going to turn!”_

_“You think we don’t know that?!”_

_“Then what are we still doing here, waiting for her to attack us?!”_

_“You’re willing to leave her alone, just like this?”_

Yeri wants to visit them, at least say goodbye to them – anything, really. Could they really just pretend their sunbaenims aren’t there and leave them behind?

 

_“… Yoona?”_

_“Yoona unnie…?”_

Yeri barely has any time to react as the door swings open, the remaining 7 members of Girls’ Generation filtering out like gushing water, and Irene yanks at Yeri’s arm, pulling her back, forcing her to turn and run back in the opposite direction.

 

They’ve split up from Joy and Seulgi; Wendy hurrying beside them as they sprint through the corridor, a portion of Girls’ Generation following behind them. They don’t have time to greet each other, sharing worried glances as Yoona’s snarls echo along the walls – howling in tendrils of animalistic growls.

 

If only the zombies followed the movie clichés of walking over running, then maybe Yeri wouldn’t feel like they’ve been running a marathon nonstop for a medal no one wants called ‘survived the apocalypse’.

 

Unanimously, the two groups split up, Girls’ Generation taking the left, Red Velvet taking the right – bidding each other quick, _Good luck, stay alive,_ and _Fighting!_ Over their shoulders, hoping they’d both be far enough that Yoona can’t reach them.

 

“W-We have to find Seulgi and Sooyoung,” Irene huffs, glancing backwards to see if Yoona is following them. No sign of her.

 

“Y-Yeah, we will, no worries unnie.” Wendy puffs out and the two older members bash through the double doors, recognizing the lobby connecting various outlets of halls, a giant fork in their path. “Which way?”

 

Yeri heads for the janitor’s closet, bringing out wooden mops for each of them.

 

“What are you doing?” Irene’s question falls on deaf ears as Yeri scurries towards the kitchen counter, sorting through the cabinets with the ease of fast hands – sweeping through like a vacuum, absorbing the contents in each drawer in her head before moving on.

 

“Found it,” Yeri shrieks in glee, pulling out knives of various sizes and hurrying back to her unnies, settling the wooden mops down and cutting away at the ends.

 

“Oh!” Wendy perks up at the idea, grabbing a knife of her own and shredding away at the wood, chopping off the head where the brush lies.

 

Yeri carves at the jagged end, making it point so it arches into a spear, before handing it to Irene, the leader looking quizzical at the equipment.

 

“It’s our weapon, unnie.”

 

Irene’s eyes widen and Yeri resumes to the last mop as Wendy finishes up her own makeshift spear.

 

“D-Do we really need this?” Yeri stares at her leader like she’s grown three heads, the creases between Irene’s brows furrowing deeper at the thought of its usage. “We’re – we’re going to kill people?”

 

“Kill zombies, unnie.” Wendy says, fiddling with the grip of the stick, letting her fingers feel comfortable around it. “If we have to,”

 

Irene narrows her eyes, her mouth motioning as if to say something when Seulgi’s scream cracks through the tense air – shrill and deafening. It gets them leaping to their feet, sprinting towards the noise, the whistles of Yoona’s feral growls scathing the walls of the hallway, streaming into their ears like corrosion.

 

They see Seulgi on the floor, her legs adorning large gashes as Joy keeps Yoona from getting any closer to them, the backpack playing as a makeshift shield against her arms – flailing and disoriented.

 

Wendy hurries to Seulgi’s side as Yeri shoves the blunt end against Yoona’s forehead, forcing her tumbling backwards. Yeri vaguely hears Joy’s, _“Thanks,”_ and Seulgi’s gasping, _“I’m okay,”_ as Irene yells at them to keep moving, nodding her head towards the door that leads towards the staircase as she helps Wendy bring Seulgi up by the shoulders.

 

“Go go go go _go!_ ” Joy screeches as she shuts the door behind her, the image of Yoona getting up marring Yeri’s mind in frizzling heat.

 

Thinking fast, Yeri shoves the wooden spear between the large hook serving as the knob of the entrance – hoping it’ll buy them more time.

 

They stumble down the staircase in staggering steps, Seulgi’s legs serving as a handicap as they hurry down, desperate to get out.

 

Once they make it out of the stairwell, Yeri almost trips on pools of red, oozing out of the puddles of bodies sprawled out in the lobby of the entrance – mixtures of security and staff members alike.

 

It almost makes her hurl at the sight as Irene and Wendy struggle to keep Seulgi upright.

 

“Right, almost there – Seul, just a little more,” Wendy’s voice coos quietly, desperately, Seulgi’s head bobbing up and down, streaks of blood trickling down her legs without pause.

 

They just need to get away, far enough from Yoona unnie so that –

 

“Sooyoung unnie!” Yeri screams out as soon as she looks back, the door bashing open and Yoona running through it towards the older girl, bearing teeth.

 

Yeri doesn’t think, dashing straight for the undead, plowing against her and knocking them both into the puddles of blood, keeping her down long enough so the others could put Seulgi to safety.

 

She winces at the feel of teeth crushing against her shoulder, tearing her skin open and marring her bones, ripping away at the flesh like it’s paper and rendering Yeri into circles around her head – dizzying her from the thrumming pain pulsing in her ears.

 

Yeri doesn’t remember screaming, just that something shrill and hoarse and painful and clawing escapes her throat like gushing fire – scorching her whole until the biting stops and Yeri sees a wooden stick impaled between Yoona’s brows, dropping to the floor – completely immobile.

 

Yeri’s head is spinning, the images coming off in blurs of red and black. “Stay with me Yerim, come on.” _Joohyun unnie._

She doesn’t remember nodding, wisps of words flitting through her ears, _“Carry her Sooyoung,” “Already on it,”_ as Joy lifts her up, watching through clouded eyes as Irene pulls the makeshift spear out of Yoona’s head, drips of carmine spilling out onto the dead sunbaenim’s white Lion Heart dress, tainting it the color Yeri’s getting used to seeing.

 

They settle against the counter of the lobby, Seulgi trying to stay conscious as Wendy tends to her wounds with what they have – ripping her sweater’s sleeve so it could play as a makeshift bandage.

 

Yeri wants to see if her member’s okay, but the wound on her shoulder is pounding like it’s breathing toxin through her bloodstream. A crooked smile writes across her lips, hoping the stereotypical ‘bite’ cliché would be one of the tropes not carried over from the movies.

 

But the heat and pulsing venom and her decaying nails tell her otherwise. It progresses faster than she expected.

 

Yeri knows how this’ll end.

 

She’ll save them the trouble.

 

“Just kill me, unnie.”

 

This wasn’t supposed to happen. It _isn’t_ supposed to happen.

 

But here they are.

 

-

 

Seoul, Korea

**6:06 PM**

“We’re not leaving you behind, Yerim.”

 

Yeri thinks that’s silly.

 

She coughs, sputters out blood in droplets, streaks of red dripping out of her lips as she tries to keep up with Irene’s steps, her body slumping so Irene has to carry more of her weight.

 

The extra pressure doesn’t seem to faze the older girl as they stagger towards a drug store; looking for medication to treat Seulgi’s wounds, Joy’s voice ringing in her ears – _Ran into glass; we didn’t have a choice,_ settling against the brick walls of the small building.

 

Wendy offers to scavenge it.

 

“… No, let _me_ do it.” Yeri mumbles, aware of Irene’s glare burning holes through her forehead. “I’m already infected – what more could they do?”

 

“Eat you, obviously.” Joy snorts, but the fear is back in her eyes and Yeri wants to wipe it off – replace it with her name. “And we don’t know that – we don’t know if bites make you turn.”

 

Yeri wants to retort – scream out; _Yes. It does. It will – and it’s turning me,_ but she wonders if it’ll make the group crack under the reality of it. What if the reason they’re still going strong – still have lingering hopes in their eyes, was because of the possibility of her still living through this bite?

 

What would happen to them if she told them the truth? Left them behind?

 

“We don’t know if there are undead in there,” Wendy says, offering a solution to the problem – offering reason. “And I move quicker – they won’t catch me.”

 

“Sometimes you don’t need to be caught to get eaten,” Irene snaps crossing her arms, “You just need bad luck along with being at the wrong place at the wrong time.”

 

Yeri manages to loop around their forms, entering quietly despite Seulgi’s weak attempt at calling her out. She’s lucky they’re too absorbed with formulating a plan – it’s one of her last ditch attempts at making things right; keeping her members safe and help them survive through all this mess.

 

She recognizes Irene’s stuttered gasps, choking out, _“Where’s Yerim?”_ as she crawls towards the counter of the pharmacy, grabbing onto antibiotics and antiseptics alike, whatever medications she could find that could prove useful for their journey ahead.

 

When she attempts to leave, something clutches at her leg, pulling her down. Some of the items in her arms fall in scattered disarray, a bundle still kept together as nails dig into her skin clawing upwards.

 

Yeri chucks the medications as far as she could towards the door, letting the items trip the alarm, her mind whirling of the possible escape route she could give to her unnies.

 

They’ll have to listen.

 

“Yerim?!” Joy screeches, bottles of medication rolling between her feet as she attempts to enter the store.

 

Yeri screams at her, shrill as adrenaline creeps up her throat. “Go! Take those and go!”  


Irene zooms past Joy, kicking at the zombie still clawing at her feet. Once Yeri manages to get up, stumbling at the blood rising to her head and enduring the wobbles of her legs, Yeri sees two other undead looming from the sides, approaching Irene like whispering wind – _silently quick_ – giving Yeri the split second decision she’s already made as soon as everything fell apart – _as soon as she was bit._

 

“Sorry unnie,”

 

“Wait, what –”

 

Mustering what strength and energy she has left, Yeri shoves her unnie through the door, taking the onslaught of undead clawing at her back and her sides; still making an effort to put up a fight, thrashing about as she attempts to close the entrance of the store.

 

_The unnies have gotten tougher,_

 

The alarm is still ringing, and if her unnies are smart enough – they are, Yeri has no doubt – it’ll hopefully attract the majority of them and make it easier for her group mates to travel along.

 

… _I’m glad._

 

Yeri tries to ignore her unnies’ screams – tries to ignore the faint streaks of tears she could hear under their hysterical cries as her body becomes numb to the various bites digging deep into her flesh.

 

The world decided to end.

 

Yeri just hopes it won’t take her unnies along with it.

**Author's Note:**

> Wenrene will come. Eventually. I think.


End file.
